For Immediate Release: November 16, 2007
The Esoterics sets its choral sights for the heavens in OURANIA:
Juxtaposing hard science with the hyper-Romantic
OURANIA Concert Series ~ December 1 - 2 and 8 - 9
SEATTLE - In the final concert before its 15th anniversary season, The Esoterics will bolster its reputation as "Seattle's most adventurous choir" with OURANIA, a concert series that highlights the musical extremes of the unaccompanied chorus. From the precise calculations of astronomy and the lavish polyphony of late Romanticism, to the angelic inspiration of Biblical texts, OURANIA will offer several perspectives on how we have come to understand the "heavens." This concert will please tried-and-true fans of The Esoterics who crave an intellectual experience as well as audience members who hope to hear some new "ear candy" during the holiday season.
Among the pieces in this program, two works by The Esoterics' founder Eric Banks highlight the intersection between mathematics and astronomy (Banks' course of study while at Yale) with music. In his Onomata planêtôn, a choral intonation of the planets and moons in the solar system, the score is based entirely on the inter-relationships of these heavenly bodies. The rhythms and pitches of this piece are calculated by the comparative size of these natural satellites, as well as the period of their revolution and distance from their home planet. The names of the moons, coming from legend and literature, are sung in a close canon, as if chasing each other in orbit.
Banks' second piece, Tabula siderum zodiaco, draws a similar parallel between music and astronomy with perhaps an even more mathematical approach. It is a choral mapping of the 928 stars of the zodiac - superimposing the 12 signs of the zodiac upon the 12 key signatures found in the "circle of fifths." The pitch of each star (sung with their standard Latin-cum-Greek astronomical names, such as Alpha Centauri) is determined by its position above and below the celestial equator (middle C) and each star's pitch is related to its magnitude. In addition, the 360-degree circle of the zodiac is mapped onto the 360 quarter-note beats in the piece, so that the entrance of each pitch corresponds to the star's location in the sky.
"I have always been inspired by astronomy," says Banks, "and while I realize that some of my audience might not be quite as nerdy as I am, I've always wanted to see if music can be found in that which already exists in the night sky. These two pieces are my attempt to harness the beauty of nature through the filter of music. I think that they will appeal to anyone who appreciates the connections that science and music share."
To further illustrate these connections, The Esoterics will offer a ground-breaking visual component to its performances. In its October concert series (RU'IA), the ensemble debuted its simultaneous super-title projections. For Tabula siderum zodiaco, the super-title screen will display a dynamic celestial map to indicate the astronomical features of his piece.
"From what I've heard from our audience, the super-titles have been an unqualified success," reports Doug Rank, tenor and President of The Esoterics' Board of Directors. "It's a huge improvement for our concert production. For Eric's pieces in OURANIA, I think that this visual component will allow the audience to engage with the music and rise to the works' intellectual promise."
The remaining pieces in the program will include less science than Banks' work, but the audience will find a similarly passionate musical exploration of the heavens, including sun, moon, and the stars. Most notably, two choral tone-poems by Richard Strauss (Zwei Gesänge, Op 34) take Romantic choral music to its polyphonic extreme. These Strauss songs, rarely performed due to their 16-part virtuosic texture, were sung by the ensemble last December, prompting critic Gavin Borchert of The Seattle Weekly to deem The Esoterics' HYMNODIA last year's "best ear candy" in Seattle.
In Strauss' Der abend [Evening], Friedrich von Schiller's poem describes the journey of Phobus (Apollo), the Roman god of the sun, as his chariot draws the sun to set before the approaching night. This piece will be paired with Donald Skirvin's Song of Apollo. In this work, The Esoterics' composer-in-residence set a translation of the Homeric hymn to Apollo by Percy Bysshe Shelley with radiant sonorities and victorious turns of phrase. The power of the sun is also captured in Triumf att finnas till [Triumph to exist] by Danish composer, Bo Holten. A truly Scandinavian effort, Holten's setting of this poem (in Swedish) by the celebrated Finnish poet Edith Södergran whirls with phrases such as "I walk on the sun; I stand on the sun; I know of nothing other than sun." Södergran's existentialist verse concludes honoring the stars, which "will go out one day, but shine anyway - fearlessly."
The moon has also found its place in The Esoterics' OURANIA. A second piece by Donald Skirvin sets again the verses of Shelley, who translated the Homeric hymn to Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon. With interweaving and luminous lines, Skirvin's Hymn to the moon comes to cadence after a luxurious waxing and waning of chords, with a solitary voice proclaiming: "Hail queen, great moon!"
The final two pieces of OURANIA will focus on "the heavens" as Jacob saw them in his Old Testament vision. German composer Heinrich Poos' Hypostasis captures the amazement and subsequent devotion that Jacob experienced in his dream of the celestial ladder, replete with angels and the face of God. Paired with Poos' cantata on Jacob's ladder will be the second choral tone-poem of Strauss' Op 34, Hymne. In this setting of Friedrich Rückert's verse, the heavens join Jacob's mortal celebration at the return of his prodigal son, with proclamations of celestial ecstasy.
The Esoterics' OURANIA performance dates and locations are as follows:
Saturday . 1 December . 8 pm . Tacoma
Trinity Lutheran Church . 12115 Park Ave S
Sunday . 2 December . 3 pm . Medina
St Thomas Episcopal Church . 8398 NE 12th St
Saturday . 8 December . 8 pm . Seattle
St Joseph's Catholic Church . 732 18th Ave E
Sunday . 9 December . 3 pm . West Seattle
Holy Rosary Catholic Church . 4139 42nd Ave SW
Tickets are $20 at the door, $18 in advance, $15 for students, seniors, the un(der)employed, and the differently-abled. Discounts are available for groups of five or more at $12 per person. Active singers of any choral group may attend for only $10. Advance tickets are available online at www.TheEsoterics.org (through PayPal.com), or reserved by phone at 206.935.7779.
The Esoterics has presented dozens of local and international premieres, and has tackled the most challenging works of 20th and 21st century choral repertoire. Now in its fourteenth season with founding director Eric Banks, the ensemble has drawn national and international praise for presenting the many styles that comprise contemporary choral music. In 2001, 2003, and 2006, The Esoterics' commitment to innovative concert repertoire was nationally recognized when ASCAP and Chorus America granted the ensemble its coveted Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music. The ensemble was also honored to be selected as the only North American chorus to compete at the 2000 International Choral Festival in Cork, Ireland, the 2001 International Choral Festival in Tolosa, Spain, and the 2006 Harald Andersén International Choir Competition in Helsinki (Finland).
The Esoterics' Season 2007 has been made possible by grants from 4 Culture, ArtsFund, The Horizons Foundation, Meet the Composer, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Seattle Foundation, City of Seattle Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Washington State Arts Commission, Classical King FM 98.1, and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
If you have additional questions about the OURANIA concerts or The Esoterics, please contact Bayta Maring ().